The Catch II

One guy we probably haven't seen the last of is defensive end Charles Haley. The man hasn't been heard from in two years, then joins the 49ers about 48 hours before game time and is in Brett Favre's face all afternoon Sunday. We could have the start of a whole new type of professional athlete here. The 49ers won't sign him to a contract, they'll keep him on retainer and call him whenever his services are needed.

The NFL lucked out this weekend. With storms pounding the northern half of the country, the league happened to stage its playoff games in Florida, Texas and California.

Don't count me among those who think there needs to be snow and wind and frozen tundra for it to count as real football weather. There's nothing wrong with playing in the sunshine, as the Packers and 49ers showed Sunday. Let the players, not the elements, decide the outcome.

Despite the great weather the 49ers and Packers, the two leading proponents of the West Coast offense, put the slants and curls away and played bruising, running, rumble-ball.

Then, in the final minutes, when the situation called for the quarterbacks to be at their best, Favre and Young responded with long touchdown drives. Favre moved the Packers downfield to take the lead, and Young came right back to take the game.

Continuing the theme of this season, the officials appeared to erroneously rule Rice's knee was down before he fumbled on the winning drive. This game still had enough great plays to compensate. It won't be remembered for bad calls.

Whatever teams take over the league as it enters the next decade (and century), it's obvious they will need great quarterbacks. That's why you just knew the New England Patriots had no chance to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars with Drew Bledsoe sidelined with an injured finger. Backup Scott Zolak threw 44 passes. Any time someone throws that many, you'd think one of them would be for a touchdown. Uh-uh. No wonder the Patriots lost.

The Donald Hollases and Craig Whelihans that cluttered NFL backfields this season are gone now. Next weekend it's Marino vs. Elway. Jacksonville's Mark Brunell vs. Vinny Testaverde and the New York Jets. Arizona's exciting young Jake Plummer against the revived Randall Cunningham and the awesome Minnesota Viking offense. And it looks like the 49ers-Falcons game will be about running backs Garrison Hearst and Jamal Anderson.

Best of all, there's no controversy over which teams should be playing.

J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com